American Amber Ale Caramel Amber Ale

[MBN]

I went and made a second batch and it turned out the same. The only thing I did different this time was to leave the stove around 4 to 5 on the heat setting. The first batch I think I had it set around 7 to 8. I'll run with what I have..although I may do another batch in the lower temp ranges. Oh as the Yeast nutrient cooks does it put off an ammonia odor?

 

[cheesebach]

From my experience, getting that kind of color in the syrup will lead you to Quad/Special B type flavors, and give you more of a winter-warmer ale flavor profile that goes well in the colder months rather than a year-round refresher. Both are good beers and legitimate takes on the recipe. The next time I do this beer, I'll probably stop my sugar at 275-280 in order to focus more on the caramel flavors and less on the plum flavors for a beer that's more refreshing than complex.

Do you find that you are able to reach a temperature of 290F without the color getting to where it looks almost black in the jar when finished? I made the syrup twice, because I was skeptical about how dark it looked in the jar the 1st time. The second time making it, I stopped it a few degrees cooler (around 287F), and checked the color of a drop on a piece of foil just like the color chart posted in the candy syrup thread for each temp. The drop was definitely right between the 280F and 290F syrup color on that chart, but the full batch still looks nearly black when i put it all in a glass jar. I don't know what color syrup is the best for this beer having only made one batch, but I'm fairly confident that 290F should be quite dark and definitely not transparent when looking at the full batch in the glass jar. D-45 syrup is just as dark and is supposed to have a lot of caramel/vanilla flavor, rather then the raisin/plum flavors you'd get from the D-90 and darker ones. I don't think I had anything resembling quad-like flavors in my finished beer, but I'd definitely be interested to know the results if anyone has experimented with different syrup temps with this beer.

 

[cheesebach]

I went and made a second batch and it turned out the same. The only thing I did different this time was to leave the stove around 4 to 5 on the heat setting. The first batch I think I had it set around 7 to 8. I'll run with what I have..although I may do another batch in the lower temp ranges. Oh as the Yeast nutrient cooks does it put off an ammonia odor?

That sounds like exactly my experience with the syrup - it sounds/looks to me as though you made the 290F syrup correctly. That being said, I have no idea if 290F or a lighter or darker variant is "best" for this recipe. And yes to the DAP releasing ammonia as the solutions starts boiling.

 

[MBN]

That sounds like exactly my experience with the syrup - it sounds/looks to me as though you made the 290F syrup correctly. That being said, I have no idea if 290F or a lighter or darker variant is "best" for this recipe. And yes to the DAP releasing ammonia as the solutions starts boiling.

Thanks for the help everyone. We will find out today as I'm BIAB 5 gallons.

 

[Oophaga]

Brewed this recipe, except with D-45 as I did not have the time to make the syrup myself. Next time I will. I also substituted 8 oz of 2 row for flaked wheat, simply for head retention. Went a point over target, not too bad! The color is simply amazing.

Will post back when carbed and ready.

 

[MBN]

I brewed this up about 3 days ago. I went over the numbers beersmith gave me. I did a BIAB method. It was my first. Over all it went well. Did a 90 min mash per beersmith. Not sure why it had me do it. I still need to work the program out I think. It was a first using it too. Pitched 05 yeast dry on top and it started bubbling about a day later. Going good now and should be finished and ready for keg by the 10th. Cold crash for a day. Then carb it up. Report back around the 12th I think if all goes right.

 

[MBN]

I'm cold crashing my ale today. FG was 1.13 I'll carb it up tomorrow or the next day. Should be ready for a drunk on Sunday. These are the numbers I got from breersmith. 1.041 post boil. Mine was 1.043. Est OG 1.059 mine was 1.057. Finished at 1.013. Or at least that is where I stopped it and cold crashed it. It Est my final to be 1.007. I tasted the sample and it has the flavor from the syrup for sure that dark almost burn tase. My next try will be with a lower temp. Maybe try around 280 ish.

 

[FatDragon]

Do you find that you are able to reach a temperature of 290F without the color getting to where it looks almost black in the jar when finished? I made the syrup twice, because I was skeptical about how dark it looked in the jar the 1st time. The second time making it, I stopped it a few degrees cooler (around 287F), and checked the color of a drop on a piece of foil just like the color chart posted in the candy syrup thread for each temp. The drop was definitely right between the 280F and 290F syrup color on that chart, but the full batch still looks nearly black when i put it all in a glass jar. I don't know what color syrup is the best for this beer having only made one batch, but I'm fairly confident that 290F should be quite dark and definitely not transparent when looking at the full batch in the glass jar. D-45 syrup is just as dark and is supposed to have a lot of caramel/vanilla flavor, rather then the raisin/plum flavors you'd get from the D-90 and darker ones. I don't think I had anything resembling quad-like flavors in my finished beer, but I'd definitely be interested to know the results if anyone has experimented with different syrup temps with this beer.

I did the double-cooked 290F syrup last time for my caramel amber ale (and again tonight for a quad I'm brewing tomorrow) so it's darker and a lot more intense than the single-cooked 290F version. From tasting drops taken at various stages in the cooking process tonight, I would say a single-cooked 290F batch would do well, though I would probably go for 280-285F myself. As for the color, my double cooked sugar is almost molasses dark even when it's just a little drop. My past experience with 290 was that it's a reddish amber color in small drops that turns to a dark transparent mahogany color in aggregate, and that it has a very minor impact on the color of the final beer so if you're doing an ingredient profile for recipe software, 15-20 SRM is probably the color range you want to tell your software in order to get a decent idea of the color of the finished beer.

 

[Oophaga]

If you're doing an ingredient profile for recipe software, 15-20 SRM is probably the color range you want to tell your

That's interesting, do you mean the final SRM of the beer, or the SRM of the candy syrup? I used d-45(45SRM) and it looks very close to the OP's recipe photos, maybe a hair more red.

 

[FatDragon]

That's interesting, do you mean the final SRM of the beer, or the SRM of the candy syrup? I used d-45(45SRM) and it looks very close to the OP's recipe photos, maybe a hair more red.

I mean with homemade candi syrup ala SnickaSaurusRex's recipe. Even though the sugar cooked one time to 290F looks pretty dark in a jar, when added to a beer, the color contribution is a lot less than I expected. I've found that with a double-cooked variant, which is dark like blackstrap molasses, calculating its color contribution to the final beer at ~45 SRM is pretty accurate, at least in Beersmith, while the single-cooked 290F sugar is significantly lighter and probably contributes at a ~15-20 SRM level. Note that's the color contribution of the sugar, not the actual color of the finished beer.

 

[hawkeye121]

Hi KingBrianI - I want to brew your recipe, sounds so good right now. Please tell me, in your recipe, is "batch size" post boil kettle volume, or volume into the fermenter? They can be quite different and I really want to brew it right, with the same hop proportions as you do. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!

 

[KingBrianI]

Hi KingBrianI - I want to brew your recipe, sounds so good right now. Please tell me, in your recipe, is "batch size" post boil kettle volume, or volume into the fermenter? They can be quite different and I really want to brew it right, with the same hop proportions as you do. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!

Hey Jerry,

The batch size measurements for all my recipes refer to the volume into the fermenter. The post boil volume would definitely be more like 6-6.25 gal to account for trub loss/hop absorption/etc.

I hope it turns out well for you!

Brian

 

[BikerMatt]

My mouth is watering just looking at the pics. Gonna put this one away for future use.

 

[Kosova]

Hey Brian,

I'm planning to brew this recipe soon but I don't have access to 80L or 60L as the closest replacement. Would you replace 80L with 40L or 120L and what amount would you use?

 

[skraeling]

Im trying a sliiightly tweaked version of this. Going to be trying it on a grainfather and I needed to bump up the grain weight to 10lb.

so itll be
8lb 2row (80%)
2lb C80L (20%)

 

[KingBrianI]

Hey Brian,

I'm planning to brew this recipe soon but I don't have access to 80L or 60L as the closest replacement. Would you replace 80L with 40L or 120L and what amount would you use?

I'd go with the 40L as it will be more caramelly and less raisiny. Using the 40L instead of 80L will make a little difference in the flavor, but the beer should still be really good!

 

[Kosova]

I'd go with the 40L as it will be more caramelly and less raisiny. Using the 40L instead of 80L will make a little difference in the flavor, but the beer should still be really good!

Perfect! I'm also thinking about replacing 2 row with maris otter but not sure if it'd be too sweet with 40L + candy syrup + mo.

 

[thenorthwesthammer]

Leave it be for another week then keg or bottle it.

If its reached terminal gravity, which it likely has in 2 weeks and you are going to bottle it ...what is your rationale for leaving it in the primary for another week? Just curious.

Sorry realized I only grabbed one quote. Prev brewer was 1.010 at 2 weeks primary and wanted to bottle.

 

[AkTom]

Finally getting around to brewing this tonight. I made the candi syrup months ago.

 

[FatDragon]

I did my first large-batch brew last weekend - 300L of a modified Caramel Amber Ale for a brewpub in town (slightly lower OG, added some flaked oats, split the caramel between CaraAroma and C60, Warrior for bittering and Amarillo at 15 and 5, and the head brewer wants to add some Puer tea after primary fermentation). We made 7.5kg of candi syrup with wort instead of water, but expansion was too much so we had to stop before getting past soft ball. However, after almost five hours of boiling sugar and wort, it still made some mighty tasty syrup. I'll try to post a picture of a pint and some tasting notes in a couple weeks when it goes on tap.

 

[ThatBrewingOtter]

Just kegged this last week, tried my first sample the other night.

Really tastes great. Description is pretty accurate. Very inoffensive; I imagine it'll be popular with even the non-craft crowd.

 

[ranym]

Yeah, this recipe is actually really easy to do with extract. Just use 5.25 lbs of light LME or 4.2 lbs light DME in place of the pale malt. Then steep the crystal malt and add the syrup to the boil as usual.

Hello! first time poster here but i've read all 91 pages of this so I don't repeat any questions.
I've only done three all grain 1 gallon batches and trying to up to 5 gallon extract until I get more equipment.
When I put put this information in beersmith I get different values (but also my first time using beersmith): http://imgur.com/a/PHF9d

My changes:
1) 5.25 Gallons
2)5 lb 5 oz DME
3)1 lb 10oz Crystal 80L
4)1oz Chinook for 60 mins to get a higher IBU closer to your original recipe.
http://imgur.com/a/vlCbt

Also, Ive had carbonation drops that I had from my last batch. I now know a lot better not to buy them again but any problems using them this time?

Thanks for everyone who posted and helped me want to brew this so bad. Hard to find time with newborn twins though!

 

[ranym]

So I've decided not to go with what beer smith or brewers friend say. I picked up 6.6 lbs of LME today. I'll either use all of it or just under. I wonder why those calculators measure things very differently for extract. Still not sure if I should follow your timing on hops or increase since IBU was much less than yours.

 

[morbster]

I've spent the past couple months building my homebrew setup (eBIAB w/ 15 gallon kettle), and decided this would be my first recipe. It looked both simple and appealing since I would get to play with the candi sugar as well.

I ran into some issues with my brewing and ended up boiling a bit too much water off. Ended up with an OG of 1.061 instead of 1.050. This also resulted in me keeping my 0min hops at 150+ for a bit too long, so I am hopeful that these two factors will balance each other out in the end.

Here are a couple photos of my syrup endeavors. I think I boiled the syrup for a bit too long, although the flavor is delicious. I was going for more straight caramel, and I get a mild flavor of toasted marshmallow.

My first attempt was a complete failure. I'll leave you to guess which one the screw up is.

 

[ThatBrewingOtter]

Second syrup looks great! Pretty burgundy!

 

[sminar]

Hi All,

It's possible this is my first HBT post. Have been reading and learning for the past 6-8 months. Just wanted to give a quick thanks to the OP and all participants of this thread.

I'm about to brew 11 gallons via BIAB. I was going to weasel out and buy my Candi Syrup but when I went supply shopping, my local HBS was out of D-45. I just finished making my own and the results look and taste great. The final syrup is thicker than I imagined but the color and taste seem excellent to me. I ended up with 2.2 lbs.

I'll be using a locally grown and malted grain: Mecca Grade's "Vanora", grown and malted in Madras, OR. I grabbed Imperial Yeast's "Flagship" for this batch. Hoping to brew tomorrow. Can't wait to enjoy the result!

 

[ThatBrewingOtter]

Hi All,

It's possible this is my first HBT post. Have been reading and learning for the past 6-8 months. Just wanted to give a quick thanks to the OP and all participants of this thread.

I'm about to brew 11 gallons via BIAB. I was going to weasel out and buy my Candi Syrup but when I went supply shopping, my local HBS was out of D-45. I just finished making my own and the results look and taste great. The final syrup is thicker than I imagined but the color and taste seem excellent to me. I ended up with 2.2 lbs.

I'll be using a locally grown and malted grain: Mecca Grade's "Vanora", grown and malted in Madras, OR. I grabbed Imperial Yeast's "Flagship" for this batch. Hoping to brew tomorrow. Can't wait to enjoy the result!

Sounds awesome! Keep posted... Drinking "a" pint of this still (it counts as just one pint if you never empty the glass, right? Just keep topping it up?)

 

[sminar]

Brew session went well. Hit my numbers dead on across the board. Ferm chamber is keeping the fermenters dialed at 65°F. It's just so hard to wait!

 

[morbster]

Tasted my batch after a week in the fermenter, and it is delicious. I was a bit concerned when I first brewed because the wort had a very bitter after taste, but that has gone away (probably now that the hop residue has settled out). I will wait another week or two before crashing, adding gelatin, and bottling.

I'm thinking about keeping the carb levels around 2.1 to let the smooth sweetness shine through. Anyone have thoughts they'd like to share on the carbonation?

 

[FatDragon]

Tasted my batch after a week in the fermenter, and it is delicious. I was a bit concerned when I first brewed because the wort had a very bitter after taste, but that has gone away (probably now that the hop residue has settled out). I will wait another week or two before crashing, adding gelatin, and bottling.

I'm thinking about keeping the carb levels around 2.1 to let the smooth sweetness shine through. Anyone have thoughts they'd like to share on the carbonation?

In my experience: at 2.3-2.5 volumes, it's generally more refreshing and spring-y. At 1.9-2.1 volumes, it's generally more of a smooth, autumn-y beer.

The brewpub batch I helped on at a local brewpub is on tap now and the kegs are draining fast (he told me it's their best seller right now). Between my and the brewmaster's tweaks to the recipe on page one (oats, 50/50 Caramunich III and CaraAroma, Amarillo at 15 and 5), some necessary substitutions (homemade candi cooks a lot differently in 7.5kg batches), and the addition of just over 1g/liter of eight year old Pu-er tea (contributing earthiness and a dry, tannic finish), it's a very different beer from the one most of you are brewing here - dry, earthy, and brown porter-colored with a bit of citrus and that tannic finish, but still quite good.

The one thing that I come back to every time I make a variant of this beer is that it's such a versatile recipe. It can be a flavorful amber, a malty brown, a refreshing summer quencher, a "session quad"... Heck, if I ever get a lagering setup, I'll bet it would make a killer bock with German caramalts. Have I just given myself a new project?